On Fire
by Armed Synergist
Summary: Many people think that the Will of Fire is the Leaf Villages fighting spirit, their will to protect. But some people know the true origin of the Will of Fire and it is more than just and expression. It is something far greater, something far more literal.


**Hey guys, long time no see… talked… read… written… whatever! Anyways, I've decided to try this whole writing thing again. So I've thrown around quite a few ideas and I have a basic outline of how I want this story to go. So if you're down to beta this for me just send me a PM and we can get down to business.**

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><p><strong><span>Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters.<span>**

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><p><strong>ANYWAYS, without further adieu, I give you the first chapter of <strong>**On Fire**

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><p>The Will of Fire. The fuel of every shinobi in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Many people would tell you that this is the fighting spirit that all leaf shinobi hold dear. They would tell you that it is the driving force behind their every action. The will to protect everyone precious to you with everything you have. Yes, to most, <em>that<em>, is the Will of Fire.

But to a select few, those well versed in the ancient lore of the land and the way the world was shaped, the Will is something a lot more… _literal_.

You see, there is a monastery, deep within the mountains near the north eastern border of the Land of Fire, which is home to a group of warrior monks, The Kasei, that know the true history of the Will.

The Kasei tell a story, some call it a legend, and others, a prophecy, of one who would bring about the change of the world through fire. One who would cleanse this world of all of its evils and make it peaceful again in a great, cleansing firestorm. The one who carried the true Will of Fire.

The monks' responsibility is to seek out this person, the inheritor of the _true_ Will. And so they have tried, for centuries, to find this person. The Kasei traveled the world, chasing rumors and stories and interviewing men and women of all ages in order to find this chosen warrior. This is where our story begins, with one monk who was passing through the Village Hidden in the Leaves on the night of October 10th.

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><p>Crying. That is what I heard. That of a small child, at the time I could not place the age, but none the less it was there. So as I walked through the lantern lit streets of this village, which was apparently celebrating the defeat of the Nine Tailed Fox which had occurred 5 years before this day, I decided I would find the source of this crying.<p>

Forgive me, I haven't given my name. I am Shidou, warrior monk of the Kasei, age 42. I am one of the scouts sent to investigate the rumors of people who could be the Chosen One. I was in the village to gather supplies before I continued on into the Land of Tea to continue my search.

As I followed the source of the crying I could tell it was moving, so I quickened my pace a bit and as I turned a corner I found something which startled me, there was a man, slumped over in a corner.

'_Probably passed out drunk...'_ I thought to myself.

If I had checked on the man to make sure this was the case I would have found that he was deceased, and that his clothes and flesh were scorched horribly, but in my hurry I had neglected to check. Instead I continued on to the source of the crying.

A loud pop, followed by several more

_Firecrackers_

But so many in one place? Oh well, I thought, probably just some kids making trouble. I continued on. There was a bright light ahead of me, in the direction of the crying

Another drunk lay in the street.

I hurried on to the light.

**What I saw changed me forever.**

A burning building, multi-floored, was falling apart in front of me, the source of the crying was the _inside_ of that place. Without thinking I sprinted into the wreckage, tying a handkerchief around my mouth and nose to avoid the smoke. I ran through the wreckage calling out, hoping that whoever was here would be old enough to answer.

At that moment millions of thoughts were running through my head. How did the blaze start? Where were the child's parents? What if I was too late?

As I broke through a burning door I found the child, and when I saw him my breath hitched in my chest. There, sitting on the burning bed in the middle of the room was a small boy, clutching what remained of a burned stuffed animal to his chest. The boy had sun blonde hair which stuck out every which way and looked like it had rarely been cut; he was wearing a dirty white t-shirt and a pair of green shorts, but the most startling fact about the boy was not his hair or his clothes, no.

The boy was on _fire_. It was just like… no, it couldn't be…

He was burning, but he wasn't, he should have been dead, but he wasn't, and he should have been relieved to see me, but he wasn't. The boy saw me and a look of fear immediately washed over his face.

"Don't worry little boy, I'm here to help you." I called to him.

He just stared, terrified, could he not speak? I decided to make my way over to him.

"Get away!" I was thrown backward by the force of the explosion, into the wall. "You're just like the rest! I don't wanna be hurt anymore!" he screamed at me from the bed.

"I need you to calm down!" I called to him, "My name is Shidou! I just want to help you get out of here!"

"How do I know I can trust you!" he called, I saw the tears streaming down his face and it tugged at my heart, who was this boy?

"You cannot know! You simply must trust me child! I will not hurt you." I tried to sound confident and ignore the situation

"I don't believe you!"

A burning beam fell from above me and I jumped to avoid it, the boy stared, still engulfed in flames.

"We must leave now!" I declared as I crossed the room to him, his eyes widened as I took him into my arms and dashed toward the door. The beam had fallen through the floor to the ground level, cutting off my escape.

There was a pain in my arms and chest. I ignored it.

A window, our only chance of escape. I ran across the room as fast as my legs would carry me. Just a few more steps.

I tripped. The child screamed in my arms.

We sailed through the window and in an explosion of glass we were hurtling through the air toward the ground. The boy was crying again in my arms and the pain in my arms intensified, and then:

**Blackness.**

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><p><strong>So what do you guys think? Review and what not, and PM me if you want to beta for me, got knows I need one… until next time. <strong>

**Goodnight (its 10PM as I write this)**


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